4 BOTANICAL GAZETTE | JANUARY 
descriptions relate mainly to the phenomena in the basidium, 
but he has figured (17, p/. XVI/, fig. 7) part of a hyphal cell with 4 
a pair of nuclei, which from their position and size suggest that — 
they may be the only nuclei in the entire cell. 
An investigation, not yet published, of the structure and ~ 
development of Zremella mycetophila, parasitic on Collybia dryo™ 
phila, by a student in my laboratory, showed that the carpophore 
of the Collybia contained regularly binucleate cells. 
The species of Hypochnus, owing to their simple structure 
and the loose branching habits of their basidium-bearing hyphae, 
are very favorable material for the investigation of the nuclear 
phenomena in the mycelium and young hymenium. Species 
growing on very rotten wood are specially adapted for good 
fixation and sectioning. A species agreeing fairly well with 
Hypochnus subtilis Schroet., except that the setae are brown, is 
abundant in this region. The material in all stages of develop- 
ment from vegetative mycelium to well-developed hymenium 
with ripe spores can be readily obtained in the fall months. 
My material was fixed in Flemming’s and in Merkel’s solu- 
tions, and was sectioned and stained with the safranin- “gente 
violet-orange method. 
It became apparent at once, as was to be expected, that the 
cells of Hypochnus, which develops no carpophore of sterile 
tissue, were regularly binucleate throughout, with the exception 
UReeeiad 
group of the very simplest known Hymenomycetes. The 
mycelium ramifies in the substratum of decaying wood or rich 
earth and produces a simple hymenial layer on its surface made 
up of basidia alone, or, in some species, with intermingled 
cystids. As the genus is described, there is nothing to repr 
sent a carpophoric structure. 
The hymenium is itself quite loose. At first it consists 
merely of scattered, erect basidium-bearing hyphae, which are 
